The selection of the seat of the new European Labour Authority – which Cyprus and three other EU countries are in the running for, moved one step closer after the European Commission conveyed its examination of the offers to the European Council.
The Council received offers from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia and Slovakia and asked the European Commission to examine these by 3 June.
The Commission’s assessment is available on a dedicated website. Member States are expected to select the seat of the Authority on 13 June.
The procedure for deciding on the seat of the European Labour Authority (ELA) was launched on March 13. The decision on the location of the ELA requires common agreement among the member states.
Four EU countries have sent offers to the Council to host the seat of the future European Labour Authority (ELA) in the following cities:
- Sofia (Bulgaria)
- Nicosia (Cyprus)
- Riga (Latvia)
- Bratislava (Slovakia)
In its assessment on Cyprus, the Commission notes that Cyprus is a Member State that acceded to the Union in 2004 and does not yet host an EU decentralised agency.
It notes that Cyprus’ offer indicates that the government of Cyprus can provide the Authority with premises immediately and commits to making those premises well-designed to host the Authority in time for it to become operational, without specifying the time frame.
The offer also indicates the commitment of the government of Cyprus to appoint a specific Task Force to provide the Authority with institutional support.
The offer indicates premises to be put at the disposal of the Authority rent-free. The offer indicates the commitment of the government of Cyprus to deliver a fully operational building to host the Authority.
Should EU governments pick Cyprus, the new authority will be housed in the former Laiki headquarters at the entrance to Nicosia which the government is offering to make available rent free.
Cyprus’ 60 page bid (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/39269/cyprus-ela-offer-en.pdf) begins with an introduction from President Nicos Anastasiades.
“Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is aspiring to host the European Labour Authority (ELA), expected to commence its workings within 2019. In a union of Solidarity, a Europe united in diversity, it would be the first ever European body to be hosted in Cyprus,” he writes.
“Hosting the Authority has been the natural outcome of Cyprus’ continuous support for the establishment of a common labour authority and its commitment to promoting fair working conditions, social cohesion, and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights,” he adds.
The president notes that Cyprus, with an open, diverse and multicultural society, besides its abundant historical heritage and natural wealth, offers a uniquely safe and stable environment to live and work, as well as advanced infrastructure, high quality health services and social security, high educational standards for English or French speakers and numerous employment prospects.
Nicosia, an extraordinary modern city with captivating history, enjoys all the necessary conditions for successfully hosting ELA, offering all the necessary means and tools for an efficient working environment, as well as the ideal quality of life for its staff and families, he said.
Moreover, hosting ELA in Cyprus would also substantially increase EU’s visibility across the eastern and southern part of the Union.
“Choosing Nicosia would come as a vote of confidence to countries and citizens at the EU’s periphery sending a message of decentralisation, solidarity and equality of all its member states, further enriching the Union’s unique institutional set-up and the overall operating framework of its agencies,” he said.
When the ELA is at full strength, it will bring some 140 staff to work in its headquarters, implying a probable total of around 500 new arrivals in Cyprus including family members.
